The Dolphins are one win away from a maiden Grand Final appearance, but standing in their way is a battle-hardened Roosters side loaded with representative talent and finals experience. With a sold-out Suncorp Stadium expected to create a memorable atmosphere, the preliminary final pits the NRL’s form team against one of the competition’s traditional powerhouses in a clash that could define both clubs’ seasons.
Read Full Previews
- Dolphins vs Roosters → dolphins-vs-roosters-preliminary-final-preview-2026
- Panthers vs Knights → panthers-vs-knights-preliminary-final-preview-2026
Matchday Details
Friday, 25 September 2026 – 7:50pm AEST – Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane
📺 Nine Network / Nine Now / Kayo / Foxtel
Referee: Adam Gee | Senior Review Official: Ashley Klein
Dolphins: 1. Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow, 2. Jamayne Isaako, 3. Jack Bostock, 4. Herbie Farnworth, 5. Selwyn Cobbo, 6. Kodi Nikorima, 7. Isaiya Katoa (c), 8. Thomas Flegler, 9. Jeremy Marshall-King, 10. Tom Gilbert, 11. Max Plath, 12. Kulikefu Finefeuiaki, 13. Morgan Knowles, 14. Kurt Donoghoe, 15. Ray Stone, 16. Francis Molo, 17. Connelly Lemuelu, 18. Felise Kaufusi, 19. Bradley Schneider, 20. Jake Averillo, 21. Brian Pouniu, 22. Tevita Naufahu
Sydney Roosters: 1. James Tedesco (c), 2. Daniel Tupou, 3. Billy Smith, 4. Robert Toia, 5. Mark Nawaqanitawase, 6. Daly Cherry-Evans, 7. Sam Walker, 8. Naufahu Whyte, 9. Reece Robson, 10. Lindsay Collins, 11. Salesi Foketi, 12. Siua Wong, 13. Victor Radley, 14. Connor Watson, 15. Angus Crichton, 16. Nat Butcher, 17. Spencer Leniu, 18. Hugo Savala, 19. Cody Ramsey, 20. Egan Butcher, 21. Tommy Talau, 22. Benaiah Ioelu
Match Preview
The Dolphins are the form team of the competition and of the final four teams. They have now won eight games in a row for the second time in 2026, and have won 16 of their last 18 matches, with the less said about the 66-0 loss to the Sharks at Redcliffe the better. The two losses at Redcliffe this season should rule them out of premiership contention, given they conceded 50 points on both occasions, but if any side are going to buck this decades-long curse it is a side that plays like the Dolphins. Since the Dolphins started their second eight-game winning streak in Round 20, their finals rivals have lost at least three games – Penrith (three), Newcastle (four), and Roosters (four). Form doesn’t appear to be a worry, but the finals occasion may have been, but their win over the Warriors to earn the right to host this game proved that they probably won’t be overawed by the occasion.
The Roosters too play under the 50-point curse, courtesy of their loss to rivals South Sydney in Round 27 when they rested a large portion of their team. It remains to be seen whether that was the right thing to do, but it certainly didn’t harm them last weekend when they thrashed Cronulla 46-10, and adding their star halfback should give them an extra kick.
The Bondi-based side were the form team of the competition heading into Round 25, with their own run of eight straight wins, and they looked on track to seal the minor premiership, but a loss to the Wests Tigers started a run of four straight losses which saw them lose to the Dolphins, fall to fourth, and lose to Penrith in week 1 of the finals.
The biggest team news item also shapes as the key storyline of the game as the Roosters halfback Sam Walker returns from a four-week absence for a syndesmosis injury that he coincidentally suffered against the Dolphins in their most recent clash. The return seems extraordinarily quick, but such is his importance he is quickly reinstated, which sees Hugo Savala drop to the bench, although he may well force his way into the starting side at the expense of Billy Smith. Walker and his halves partner Daly Cherry-Evans form a deadly combination with the steady hand and big game experience of Cherry-Evans mixed with the ad hoc skills of Walker.
The Dolphins themselves have one of the best halves combinations in the NRL in 2026, and their consistency over the season has been one of their big advantages over many of the sides they have beaten in their amazing run of form. Isaiya Katoa’s steady hand and kicking game lays the platform for the outside backs to explode into life, as they so often do in patches of their games, and usually Kodi Nikorima – who is having arguably the finest season of his career – is involved in a lot of it.
Unlike most other seasons the Dolphins have no injury worries, with a full-strength side named once again, and that consistent squad has helped them put together this great run of form and charge towards a Grand Final berth that looked quite unlikely when they won just two of their opening seven games and sat 12th on the ladder as late as Round 9.
The forwards appear quite evenly matched, with brute power matched with some skillful smaller forwards, in particular Victor Radley and Max Plath. The referee may well be watching one of the other match-ups of interest, with the fiery Lindsay Collins and Tom Gilbert going head-to-head. Throw in Spencer Leniu and Francis Molo from the bench and there is the possibility it may get spicy at some stage, like it did at Suncorp Stadium in 2025 when the Roosters won 64-12 and a few made it to the sin bin.
Not often you’d suggest a bench is a key weapon for success, but both teams’ benches offer plenty of game-breakers, and in the case of the Dolphins they have been key at times in turning around their sluggish starts and kickstarting the recovery. Kurt Donoghoe in particular has been massive from the bench over the past few seasons and Ray Stone will demand a mention. But the Roosters bench arguably is even better, with no less than three NSW Blues starting the game on the pine, and Nat Butcher always a key contributor.
The Dolphins have often needed that bench boost, as they have been slow to start games in 2026, often not recovering earlier in the season. They have scored the first try just seven times this season, while the Roosters are the competition leaders with 17 first try scorers. It is worth noting that the Dolphins are the only team to have won every game after scoring first. They do have arguably the best backline in the competition, one that can score not just one, but sometimes two, three, or four tries in quick succession in quick succession, so an early deficit hasn’t been crucial in recent weeks. They have scored the first try just twice in the most recent eight-game winning streak.
One factor that may be overlooked – among the big names and stats ahead of this game – is that this could be the last game for a lot of Dolphins originals, and they do sound like they want to keep the band together for as long as possible, and that might be that extra edge they need on this big occasion. Players like Jamayne Isaako (who has played all but 10 minutes of the entire Dolphins’ four-season history), Nikorima, and Jake Averillo are all moving to other clubs in 2027, and fan favourite Ray Stone is moving to another sport. All of those players would like to score at least one more try in Dolphins colours to keep the team alive for another day, with the exception of Stone, who would probably prefer another big defensive effort to a try.
Both sides have decent form at Suncorp Stadium. The Dolphins – as you expect – are going well at one of their home grounds: they have won eight in a row at Suncorp Stadium and have also won four in a row at Suncorp Stadium on a Friday. But the Roosters travel well against Queensland teams: they have won six of their last seven games vs Qld sides at Suncorp Stadium on a Friday and seven of their last eight games vs Qld sides as the away side. So not much of a home advantage for the Dolphins, although better than if the game were played in Redcliffe, both form-wise and financially.
One key stat going against the team formerly known as Eastern Suburbs is their finals away record, which isn’t great. The Roosters have lost their last five away finals games and lost 10 of the last 11 away finals games going back to the 2010 Grand Final. Overall since 1998 their away finals record is four wins and 17 losses, with a one win-three loss record in Queensland.
The Dolphins will also take confidence from their record of seven consecutive Friday victories, and winning five in a row on a Friday vs Sydney teams, far superior to the Roosters’ three wins-three losses Friday record in 2026.
Prediction
RLZ Tip: Dolphins by 8.
Preliminary Final tips → /nrl-preliminary-finals-tips-predictions-2026/
Bold call: Roosters to score first and Dolphins to go on four-try blitz early in the second half to blow open the game.
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Related
- Full Prelim Finals coverage → /nrl/2026-season/prelim-finals/
- NRL Prelim Finals Team Lists → /nrl-team-lists-preliminary-finals-2026/
- NRL Injury List → /nrl/injuries/
- NRL Semi-Finals Review → /nrl-semi-final-review-result-2026/
